1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
With respect to the classification of art as established in and by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, this invention is believed to be found in the general class entitled as "Material or Article Handling" and particularly in the subclasses pertaining to the method of rotating and aligning the mouth of a container with a vertical aperture.
The present invention is particularly directed to use in the process of applying a coating to molded or compressed articles such as caplets, tablets, pills, candy, chewing gum, and the like. It is also anticipated that other industries, such as those in the reclaiming, cleaning, or deburring of articles, may also utilize the method disclosed in the present invention.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The lifting and rotating of containers is the subject of several prior patents. Several patents representative thereof are:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,492,675 as issued to Clark et al on May 6, 1924; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 1,912,816 as issued to Anthony on June 6, 1933; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,131,771 as issued to Turnbull on Oct. 4, 1938; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,411,228 as issued to Poulsen on Nov. 19, 1946; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,647,651 as issued to Vincent on Aug. 4, 1953; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,657,815 as issued to Collins on Nov. 3, 1953; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,693,891 as issued to English on Nov. 9, 1954; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,797,835 as issued to Avery et al on July 2, 1957; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,888,157 as issued to Riley on May 26, 1959; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,552 as issued to Kuhner et al on Jan. 17, 1967; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,003 as issued to Le Duff on Feb. 25, 1975; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,663 as issued to Wentzel on Mar. 9, 1976, PA0 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,050 as issued to Habicht on Jan. 10, 1989.
The Turnbull patent discloses a device for discharging articles, carried by a bucket, into a vertical opening. Turnbull teaches an arrangement of spaced guiding tracks and cables to lift and rotate the bucket. The balance of the referenced patents disclose devices which begin and complete the rotational movement between the mid-point and the upper extent of the lifting movement. U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,050 has been issued to the present inventor and is incorporated by reference into this specification.
In the previously referenced patents and as far as it is known, a method for lifting, tilting, and aligning a container with a vertical opening as herein described and shown, is not shown or suggested. This novel method of the present invention provides for discharging of articles from the container into an associated processing machine or mill by way of a vertical aperture or charging of a container from an associated processing machine by way of a vertical opening.
As far as it is known the transfer of articles to and/or from coating machines is a manual operation. This manual operation utilizes scoops, small pails and the like for the transfer.
It has been therefore determined that there is a need to provide a novel and efficient method for charging and discharging containers. This method should require a minimum amount of manual labor and handle the articles in a gentle manner to minimize breakage.